20 TONS WANTED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3112, 29 April 1942, Page 3

20 TONS WANTED

BARBED WIRE FOR ARMY REQUIRED FOR DEFENCE ALL FARMERS TO ASSIST Recently the necessity of providing the military authorities with supplies of bak'bed wire was brought under the notice of the executive Of the Farmers’ Union, which immediately offered to assist by organising a drive among the farming community for the collection of all available wire from farms.

The matter formed the subject of some discussion at a meeting of the Thames Sub-Province of the Farmers’ Union, held in Thames last week. The president, Mr S. E. Hall, said that the idea was for members of the different branches to collect all the available wire and deliver .same to the nearest military centre, when they would be paid the agreed price. The allocation for the whole of the subprovince was 20 tons. Tie. could not say whether that would be the total amount required or whether’ it was the first instalment. The Army had announced that it sorely needed the wire, and therefore it w.as up to the farmers to endeavour to find it. There were 658 members of the 13 branches, and it only meant about -lewt. of wire each. Then there were many farmers who were not. members of the Union, who would be willing to assist and give their quota. .

The president concluded by appealing to all members to organise a drive ini their respective districts as soon as possible. Mrs Blackmore (Waihi) thought the best method was to allocate to each a quota, and that all branches guarantee their quota.

Air M. Minifie (Coroglcn) considered ah farmers, including non-members of the Union, .should be approached. Mr W. 11. Hamilton (Whitianga) suggested that the dairy companies circularise their suppliers requesting them to state whether they could provide the wire, .and in what quantity. On the motion of Messrs Campbell (Waihi) and Cheale (Netherton.) it was decided that the allocation be given to each branch to deal with it in its own way, and that payment for the wire be made by the military authorities through the post office by means of a chit. NOT SATISFACTORY OWNERS MUST BE CONSIDERED Barbed wire is urgently needed for Army purposes, and farmers’

fences are being pulled down to supply the. need. Farmers’ are cooperating willingly with the military authorities in their efforts to prepare for possible invasion. The methods of securing the wire, however, are not completely satisfactory, and the subject came up for consideration at last executive meeting of the Auckland Fanners Union. The provincial secretary, Mi A. E. Robinson, wrote to the Dominion executive pointing out that if the Army had asked -the .Union for wire, “we could have got it with a minimum of dislocation to farming business, and without hardship to women running farms, whose husbands aie doing Army work and at least as quickly as it is likely to be obtained now.” Following receipt of this letter, the Dominion executive wrote to the Minister of Defence pointing out that recently Army authorities in North Auckland had commandeered wire off the fences from farms. The letter stressed the desire of the farmers to assist the Army in this matter; but urged that the defence officials should place their request through the Union, which would guarantee prompt action with the minimum of unavoidable inconvenience.

In reply the Minister of Defence agreed with the representations made and added: “In all cases up to date where any barbed wire has been taken over from private owners, the transaction should have been by mutual ararngements between representatives of the Army and owners concerned.”